CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Big South Conference announced Wednesday its plans to move forward with all fall sports for 2020. The UNA Lions compete as an associate member in football.
The conference put out the following information in a news release:
With a priority for the health and safety of student-athletes and others due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big South Conference announced today that it will begin fall sport competition on Thursday, Sept. 3. The decision was made by the league’s Executive Committee in consultation with the Big South Council of Athletics Directors, Chief Executive Officers and medical professionals, and provides each member institution the opportunity to further focus on return to competition protocols and necessary resources to facilitate the resocialization process, while maintaining competitive opportunities for its student-athletes this fall.
The new start date for competition includes all exhibition and non-conference games in the traditional fall sports of women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country, and coincides with the beginning of football season on Sept. 3. Baseball, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s and women’s tennis, which hold their traditional seasons in the spring, will also begin scheduled fall competition activities on or after Sept. 3.
Big South member institutions may continue with any permissible athletics activities, as defined by NCAA regulations, at their own discretion as outlined in their respective return to competition protocols, as well as local and state policies related to individual campus decisions. Rescheduling of contests will be determined by each institution.
The UNA Lions football team is set to face Western Illinois on September 3rd.
